USM Environmental Sustainability and
Climate Change Initiative

As I considered issues I truly wanted to focus on in the time I have remaining as chancellor,
the importance of environmental stewardship became an obvious choice. Not only is this an
issue of particular importance to Maryland, home to the Chesapeake Bay, it also is an arena
in which the University System of Maryland (USM) is positioned to be a key leader.

USM is uniquely suited to help our
state, our region, our nation, and our world come to terms with the impact of global
climate change and related environmental concerns. When you consider our educational
impact, research programs, community outreach, and commitment to "best
practices," I can think of no entity in our state better positioned to lead on
the vital and complex issues of climate change.

My goal is for USM to bring its
resources to bear in three critical areas:

It is important that USM
institutions make every effort to employ environmentally friendly practices on
our campuses. Building upon specific efforts already under way, I envision a
broad system-wide strategy for campus sustainability and energy efficiency,
including guidelines for new facility design and renovation.
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USM Campus Best Practices

We also have an obligation to use our
educational and research capabilities to advance environmental understanding
and action. At USM institutions, you will find undergraduate and graduate
programs focused on environmental issues as well as cutting-edge environmental
research, led by the University of Maryland Center of Environmental Science. There
are also several other USM centers addressing climate change, many boasting key
federal partners such as NASA, NOAA, and EPA.
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POLICIES

Beyond the impact we have on our
campuses, in our classroom, and at our research facilities, USM institutions
are contributing their expertise to the state of Maryland as it develops new environmental
policies. As the need for public policy actions concerning the environment
grow, USM will have increased opportunity to help the state and the nation if we
prepare now.
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I would like to hear from you. What is your opinion on the areas and focus I
have outlined for this system-wide initiative?
What do you think we can do together to advance this area of mutual concern? Please send your ideas and comments regarding campus
sustainability to green@usmd.edu

As I consider the remainder of my
tenure as chancellor, I find such an effort to be worthwhile and imperative.

William
E. ("Brit") Kirwan, Chancellor

University
System of Maryland

Based on remarks
given by Chancellor Kirwan at the Seminar
on Sustainability, held at Frostburg
State
University
on September 15, 2007.

USM National Green Campus News

Week
of January 20, 2014

News
from Across the USM Campuses

Jan. 27th - Deadline to Register - Compete this spring in RecycleMania 2014
- Sign up to
compete this Spring! Are you ready for RecycleMania 2014? Join over 500 colleges and universities across the
US and Canada participating to see who can recycle and reduce the most.
RecycleMania (RM) is a friendly competition designed to rally students and staff
in a fun, team spirited way while raising awareness about recycling and zero
waste. Schools track how much they recycle and compost between February and
March 2014 and watch how they rise and fall in the weekly updated rankings. Challenge
your school's sports rivals to another competition or simply use your own
benchmarked performance to rally the campus to reach a higher
level. Game On!

Feb. 15th - EnviroFest
"6 Degrees of Sustainability" - This event will be held from
9:00am - 4:30pm at the West Village Commons Ballroom, on the campus of Towson
University. EnviroFest is an exciting environmental conference designed to
raise awareness among students, faculty and staff about environmental topics,
issues, and solutions including the importance of sustainability. This
year's conference theme is "6 Degrees of Sustainability" - 1st Degree
- In the Home; 2nd Degree - In Business; 3rd Degree
- In the Community; 4th Degree - In Health Care; 5th Degree
- In Politics and 6th Degree - In College/Education. The
Keynote Speaker is Sam Davdison, presenting "Cool People Who Care."
For the list of presenters, workshops, and more information please visit www.towson.edu/envirofest.

March 2nd - 5th - Smart and
Sustainable Campuses Conference - The sharing economy: no place is this
more evident than on our campuses. Students are rethinking vehicle ownership,
swapping clothes, trading books, and participating in MOOCs. In other
words, finding ways to make their limited funds go further. Campuses must
also find opportunities to conserve limited resources, make college more
affordable, and make our communities more resilient to economic and
environmental change. A sharing economy is leading to more sustainable
consumption, operations, services, and lifestyles in our communities and on our
campuses. Come share with us. This conference will be held at the
Hyatt Regency Baltimore, in downtown Baltimore, MD.